Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Arrow Episode Guide: Season 6, Episode 8 - Crisis On Earth-X, Part 2

PlotOliver and Felicity travel to Central City for the wedding of Barry Allen and Iris West. Unfortunately, the party is crashed by super-villains from Earth-X - an alternate reality where The Nazis won World War II and Oliver Queen is the sinister Dark Arrow!

Influences
General alternate reality tropes involving The Axis Powers winning World War II, Justice League of America #107 (Vol. 1) (basic plot, idea of Earth-X), Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters (The conversation between Felicity and Oliver about getting married mirrors the infamous chat between Oliver and Dinah about having kids), Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (the Kryptonite arrow), All-Star Superman (a Kryptonian dying because of absorbing too much solar energy) and The Man In The High Castle (same Axis Powers win World War II tropes, but also specifically name-dropped by Felicity)Goofs
Why is Jax so surprised by the concept of parallel Earths existing? He met Supergirl a year earlier and knew she came from a different Earth!

Where the heck did Oliver get the Kryptonite for a Kryptonite Arrow? (Probably Cisco.)

At this point, the continued resurrections of Eobard Thawne have passed being merely illogical to become completely annoying.

Why doesn't Dark Arrow shoot Harry before he runs down the hall and trips the security alarm?

Also, STAR Labs really needs to get locks on the doors. Immediately.

Performances

It's a brief cameo, but Colin Donnell has a great turn as the evil Tommy Merlyn of Earth-X.

As per usual, the chemistry between Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards is amazing.

Artistry
The sequence in which Supergirl, Green Arrow and The Flash work together to save a collapsing building is fantastic.

The fight sequences in the fifth segment are great, with all the Nazi-punching, Nazi-kicking, Nazi-smacking, Nazi-shooting and setting Nazis on fire one could hope for.Trivia
Rather than the usual Arrow logo, this episode opens with a special Crisis on Earth-X logo.

The DC Comics Multiverse has a tradition of alternate realities where the Nazis won World War II. The first was Earth-X (Two) - an alternate version of Earth-Quality, which housed the superheroes published by Quality Comics who were later bought by DC Comics. Justice League of America #107 (Vol. 1) (October 1973) introduced this Earth-X, when The Freedom Fighters - a team formed to fight the Nazis after they developed mind-control technology - summoned The Justice League from Earth One to help them.

Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Earth-X was folded into the unified DC Universe. It was revived as Earth 10 in The New 52 reality.

On Earth 10, the rocket carrying the last son of Krypton to Earth landed in a Nazi-controlled Sudetenland. This child became Overman - Champion Of The Fourth Reich. He lead a team of Nazi metahumans, including Overgirl - a human girl who gained Overman's powers after being injected with Overman's genetic material. Overgirl was introduced during the Final Crisis storyline.

The Earth-X of The DCTVU is one where Germany developed the atomic bomb before The United States and was far less restrained in using it. According to Harry Wells, The German Army destroyed New York City, Paris, London and Moscow and Hitler continued to rule Germany until his death in 1994. Harry says that Earth-X was never given an official number designation, unlike the other Earths, because no sane person would want to travel there.

The conversation Oliver and Felicity have regarding Felicity not wanting to get married mirrors a famous scene from Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters. In this scene, Oliver Queen proposes to Dinah Lance and asks her to have his children. Dinah politely turns him down, saying that while she would love to spend the rest of her life with Oliver, she refuses to bring children into the lives of two superhero parents who might die any night.

The Earth-X villains break into Dayton Optical Systems. In the original DC Comics, Dayton Industries was a conglomerate which owned several companies with the Dayton name. All of these were owned by Steve Dayton - the fifth richest man in the world as well as the psychic superhero Mento. He was also the husband of Rita Farr (a.k.a. Elasti-Girl) and the adoptive father of Beast Boy.

Green Arrow makes use of a Kryptonite arrow against Overgirl. This weapon is a nod to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, where a one-armed Green Arrow assists Batman in his battle with Superman using a Kryptonite trick arrow.

It is revealed that Overgirl is dying due to having absorbed too much solar radiation. This is the same thing which killed Superman in the graphic novel All-Star Superman.

Technobabble
Oliver Queen has a Kryptonite Arrow.

The Prism that the Earth-X villains steal is described by Harry as a sub-light generator and a spectral emitter that uses quantum entanglement. Caitlin notes that it could be used to create a stable fusion reaction. In short, it could be used to create a neutron bomb.

Quantum analysis could be used to track Overgirl using her blood from the Kryptonite Arrow, Alex devises an easier method, tracking the short-wave radiation she finds saturating the blood sample.Dialogue TriumphsOliver: Earth-X?Prometheus: That's right. And I'm dead on this Earth?Oliver: "This Earth?"Prometheus: I'd almost prefer that. I was born into The Reich. The whole world is The Fatherland. We don't have elementary schools and summer camps. We have... youth groups. Military training. We all grew up without choice.Oliver: You have a choice now. You can tell me where to find the others from Earth-X.Prometheus: On my Earth, you are my best friend. I would die for you.Oliver: I would have died for you.Prometheus: Would have?Oliver: You beat me to it. I lost you. It was like... it was like losing a limb, and ... you weren't just my best friend. Tommy, you were my brother. And you sacrificed yourself for a woman that we both loved. And I was there... and I had you right here. (pauses) You were a good man... here. And I believe that you still can be.Prometheus: No, you don't understand! If I talk... if I break, The Fuhrer will kill my father! He'll kill my mother! Everyone that I love!Oliver: I will not let that happen. I will stop him.Prometheus: You really think you can do that?!Oliver: I promise you that I can do that.(Prometheus looks down, his expression relieved. That relief hardens and is replaced with a hard look.)Prometheus: (disgusted) Then you really are a special kind of idiot. You're naivety would be charming if your weakness wasn't so pathetic. Is this how it is on your planet? Is everyone here swayed by sentiment? Is everyone here really so weak? The Reich will change that. The weak will be eliminated. Your entire world will be enslaved but you, you... you won't be around to witness it. He is going to feel the weight of your skull crack under his boot. Everyone you care about, everyone you love... they are going to die badly. (laughs) In ways that would give even monsters nightmares. I really wish that I could live to see it.(Before Ollie can open the cell door, Tommy has pulled a poisoned false tooth from his mouth and ingested it, killing him in seconds.) Dark Flash: Okay. We're all a little emotional. Here's what I suggest. I will stop vibrating my hand. (To Overgirl) You stop breaking my wrist. (To Dark Arrow) And you... be... 10% less brooding.

Felicity: Maybe what wasn't fair was me saying I didn't want to marry you. I mean, not the way I did. Not with the most terrible timing in the world.Oliver: Well, was it how I said it? Because I know it was really... I know it was...spontaneous?Felicity: No, it was lovely. It was so sweet. (pauses) I love you. I just don't want to be married. I don't want to be married to anyone.Oliver: You didn't feel that way when we got engaged two years ago.Felicity: Right. And then ten minutes later I was shot and paralyzed and... Barry and Iris had a wedding and Nazis crash it-Oliver: You didn't know that was going to happen when you said you didn't want to marry me!Felicity: My point is-(Oliver sighs)Felicity: We have something good. We have something so great going. Let's not change that. Let's just stand pat with the cards that we're holding.Oliver: I want to move forward. Felicity, I love you. And I want to marry you.Felicity: (softly) I love you. I love you. I will always, always, always love you. Please respect me on this.Oliver: (pauses, looking away from her, slowly turning to meet her eyes.) Okay.Felicity: Thank you.

Stein: My retirement requires you to give up nothing!Jax: It requires me to give up you, Grey! Look, I thought I made my peace with it. I thought, "Okay, fine. I'll stay on The Waverider. Maybe I can't be Firestorm but I can still be a Legend." But then it hit me... I still can't be Firestorm and I can't be a Legend -with- you. (pauses) I never knew my father but I got to know you. You're the closest thing I've got to a dad and... now you're leaving.

(Supergirl lands in the parking lot at Dayton Optical Systems as The Flash runs up. They look around and Supergirl shrugs. The Flash begins to whistle as a motorcycle is heard in the distance. Green Arrow rides into the parking lot and brings his bike to a stop.)Green Arrow: Just a quick reminder. Super speed. I don't have it.Supergirl: Noted.(Green Arrow has just shot Overgirl with a Kryptonite arrow.)Supergirl: Is that a Kryptonite arrow? Why do you have a Kryptonite arrow?Green Arrow: In case an evil "you" ever showed up!

(Barry has just told the rest of the heroes about Overgirl and The Dark Arrow being Earth-X Kara and Earth-X Ollie)Caitlin: (To Harry) When you said that Earth-X was horrible, you might have undersold it.

(The Flash takes out several of the Nazi soldiers before Green Arrow can draw his bow.)Green Arrow: Couldn't have left one for me?The Flash: I was saving Nazi you for you.

(Dark Arrow has just taken down Heatwave and Killer Frost.)Dark Arrow: Anyone else want to be a hero?(Black Canary, Wild Dog and Mister Terrific step out of the shadows.)Mister Terrific: They wanted to wait, but I didn't think we'd ever get a better entry line than that.Continuity
The Prometheus of Earth-X is revealed to be the Earth-X version of Tommy Merlyn. He kills himself after taunting Oliver that everyone he loves will be destroyed by The Fuhrer.

Oliver refers to the time he and Felicity spent living in Ivy Town between Seasons 3 and Season 4 of Arrow. He also refers to her assuring him that they could have a life together and be superheroes upon their return to Star City in A401.

Felicity refers to the events of A409 and how she was shot and paralyzed after the first time she and Oliver got engaged.

Jax reveals that he's not upset about the prospective of losing his Firestorm powers - he's upset about losing Professor Stein, who he's come to see as the father he never had.

Alex reveals to Kara that she's having second thoughts about having broken up with Maggie after her one-night-stand with Sara.

Felicity tells Iris that the real reason she doesn't want to marry Oliver is she's afraid of tempting fate again after what happened the first time (i.e. her being paralyzed and nearly dying).

Overgirl, Dark Arrow and Dark Flash reveal themselves to Supergirl, Green Arrow and The Flash as the Earth-X versions of Kara Zor-El and Oliver Queen. The Dark Flash is Eobard Thawne - The Reverse Flash of Earth One, once again wearing the face of Harrison Wells.

According to Harry, there are 53 Kryptons and 53 Karas and 53 Earths.

Thawne says that the Earth-X villains have two goals and he fears Dark Arrow will choose Overgirl over The Fatherland when it comes to the goal of claiming a second Earth. This goal is later revealed to be capturing Supergirl alive so that her heart can be used to restore Overgirl's body, which has absorbed too much solar radiation.

The Metallo of Earth-X joins the battle on the side Overgirl.

The episode ends with Oliver, Sara, Alex, Jax, Stein and Barry imprisoned in a concentration camp on Earth X. Dinah, Rene, Rory, Harry, Cisco, Caitlin and Curtis are being held in The Pipeline in STAR Labs on Earth One. Iris and Felicity are in hiding inside STAR Labs, which is now being run by Nazi soldiers.Location
Central City
A concentration camp on Earth-X.

The Bottom Line
What Part Two of Crisis on Earth X lacks in good character scenes and comedy, it more than makes up for with Nazi-punching. As per usual with Arrow, the action sequences are the best part of the episode. This is not to say there aren't some good laughs or good character scenes here but they aren't quite as strong as they were in Part One. Still a good episode, though.